The invention is applicable to paraplegic handicapped persons normally moving around in a wheelchair and desiring, without making use of any external assistance and leaving their wheelchair, of using a motorized vehicle able to move around on uneven terrain.
There are a large number of adapted wheelchairs ranging from a simple motorized device to tracked wheelchairs moving on flat terrain and making it possible to overcome obstacles, such as flights of stairs (FR-A. 2.590 162) and indeed motorized systems able to tow the wheelchair (FR-A. 2.252 080).
There currently exist devices for transferring the handicapped person seated on his wheelchair, either with slides and a lifting block (FR-A. 2.456.002) or by means of a door folded down to the level of the external ground surface and then lifted up to the level of the floor by means of jacks (FR.A 2.506.154).
All these embodiments have a large number of drawbacks, either by virtue of their complexity or because they do not allow the paraplegic to be fully self-sufficient or because they cannot be used on uneven terrain. Moreover, there are vehicles designed for paraplegics allowing them to be used completely autonomously without the handicapped person having to leave his wheelchair. Loading is generally effected via the rear or by means of an articulated floor board forming a slanted plane (ER-0.251.136) by means of a mobile floor board lowered to ground level (FR-A- 2.315.254 - FR-A-2.521.500) and then brought up into the driving position by means of jacks. The car interior is fitted in such a way that the handicapped person, seated on his wheelchair stowed on the floor, is able to drive the vehicle.
However, these vehicles, most frequently saloon type vehicles, comprise complex mechanisms provided for movements on roads and are unsuitable for being used on uneven terrain.